American judge rejects lawsuit filed by Justice Department against pro-Palestinian supporters

An American judge rejected a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration against pro-Palestinian organizations and protesters under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. Judge Kathryn Hayden in New Jersey said the complaint did not prove sufficient violations, and allowed the government 30 days to file an amended complaint. The lawsuit was filed following a November 2024 protest against an event at a Jewish synagogue in New Jersey.

Federal Judge Kathryn Hayden in New Jersey rejected a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration last year against pro-Palestinian organizations and protesters. The lawsuit was based on the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) of 1994, which prohibits the use of force and physical obstruction to interfere with individuals at reproductive health centers or places of worship. The judge said the complaint did not sufficiently prove violations of the law, and dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, allowing the government 30 days to file an amended complaint. The case stemmed from a November 2024 protest against an event at a Jewish synagogue in New Jersey, which organizers described as a religious ceremony and a real estate fair aimed at promoting the sale of properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Justice Department alleged that the protest escalated into acts of violence, physical assaults, and chants. The article notes that the Trump administration reduced the use of the law in abortion cases but expanded it to include places of worship, and that Trump attempted to deport foreign protesters and threatened to freeze university funding.